MEAT AND BUTTER FOR VANCOUVER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 322, 8 October 1908, Page 5

MEAT AND BUTTER FOR VANCOUVER.

AUSTRALIANS CORNER THE SHIPS. Messrs. Sproul and Blcakley, the Vancouver representatives of the New Zealand Industries Department, in an appendix to the Department's annual report, make the following note regardinjg meat and butter trade with British Columbia "Frozen Meat—Up to tho present time Australia has held this business, but inquiries have been made for the New Zealand article ill, case it is possible to send it forward. The season of entry extends from October to April, and the estimated number of carcasses coming in during that time averages 30,000. Carcasses must' not weigh less than 451b., and must not exceed 501b.' The grade is ' fair average qiialityp'Londoh—Sydney wethers.' So far as wc can learn, the t'.o.b. cost,. Sydney, 3d. per pound. The Australian * article pays a duty rate 'of 3 cents per pound; New Zealand the lowest. The freight rate from Sydney to Vancouver wiO'b Id.'"'per"pound," and with direct stoarhprs running' from New Zealand, and granting this' freight rate, you would have the preference over Australia to'the extent of 1 cent per pound. , . '" " Butter. —As is the case with mutton, butter enters from October to April, and during that period, in" an average season, tho imports .should total from seven, to ten thousand cases of oGlb. each. In this article it has been impossible for New Zealand to compote, although tho wholesalers are anxious to liavo New Zealand butter, and would give it tho preference. The reason for this is that tho whole of tho available space on the vessels connecting between here and Australia, and which have tho cold-storage installation, has been controlled by an Australian .firm, chiefly in tho interest of the Australian product. Now Zealand butter is subject to 3 cents per pound duty, and Australian 4 cents. The freight from Sydney or Brisbane is Id. per pound, and tho average laid-down cost, with duty, on tho Vancouver docks avorages from .29 to 30 cents per pound."